Yogurt – Using full fat is essential here. Low fat has a “watery” mouthfeel to it.
Tahini – I don’t think Al Aseel uses tahini, I think they mix yogurt with toum which is a Lebanese garlic dip made with a lot of oil. A small amount of tahini instead provides mouthfeel richness without overtaking the sauce with sesame flavour.
Olive oil – To give the sauce a bit of richness.
Garlic – Unusually, I’m going to ask you to measured the garlic using teaspoons because raw garlic in a sauce like this can be quite harsh. I use 3/4 teaspoons of finely grated or garlic minced using a garlic press. If using a knife, finely chop then smear the garlic on the board using the side of the knife to make a paste, then measure.
Water – To thin the sauce slightly, to make it drizzle-able (is that a word?).
Salt and pepper – For seasoning.
Salt note: the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of salt in each the marinade and sauce. I started with less but felt it was under salted for both, then kept dialling it up and landed on a teaspoon for each. It’s not salty, I promise.
How to make Lebanese Lemon Garlic Chicken
Marinating time aside, it’s actually very quick because there’s not that many ingredients!
Marinade chicken for 12 to 24 hours. Beyond 24 hours, there’s diminishing returns (ie extra time doesn’t make it more tender or more flavourful) so while ok to keep it for 2 days in the fridge, beyond that I’d freeze it instead.
Cook – Drain off the excess marinade out of the bowl then cook the chicken pieces for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side until golden. I do it in 2 batches because if you clutter the pan, the chicken will go watery and braise instead of sear. We want the golden colour!
PS The recipe calls for the pieces to be cut fairly large because each piece is turned one at a time. It’s a pain individually turning loads of tiny pieces!
